Nightmares
by HAFanForever
Summary: Arnold's parents are home at last, and he's never been happier. But the realization of his greatest wish being a near impossible dream come true causes him to have nightmares about losing them forever. A three-shot story written as a birthday gift for my pal and internet sister Jenny (VollendJatara-Jenny). :)
1. Bad Dreams

**Hello everybody! Have you missed me? To my closest friends and frequent readers, I have missed you all a great deal, with chatting and sharing my story ideas. School is the one to blame, as I have been extremely busy doing things almost every week in graduate school, with doing long-consuming assignments, studying for exams, and doing my independent research work, and this is all related to my M.S. degree. Since I have to put that first, I haven't had so much time to even work on some incomplete essays and stories I currently have in the works, and I still won't be able to write as frequently in the coming months. :(**

**But today, I have the first chapter of a new, post-TJM story. I wrote it for one of my closest friends and internet sisters Jenny (VollendJatara-Jenny) because she loves "The Journal," is eager to see TJM (aren't we all, though :)), and loves the MilesxStella pairing, and this entire story includes references to all of that. This story will likely have three chapters, but since I am still busy, it will be a while before the next chapter is posted. At the same time, just enjoy this chapter for now.**

**Happy birthday, Jenny! I hope you enjoy this! :D**

* * *

><p>It was early in the morning, and the sun was only gradually rising in the sky. As it continued to rise, a small ship appeared below it as it was traveling on the ocean. The water was at a calm state, and there were no big waves or other ships in sight.<p>

This ship contained three people on it, a small family: Arnold, his father Miles, and his mother Stella.

From beneath the main deck, Stella suddenly emerged, carrying three mugs of hot chocolate on a tray. She made her way over to where her husband and son were sitting at the helm.

Arnold was standing by the lever used for steering the ship while Miles sat on the bench area behind him, with his hand on Arnold's left shoulder. They noticed Stella come over to them and smiled.

As Stella started to sit down, Miles removed his hand from Arnold's shoulder and took one of the mugs from Stella. "Sure is good to be on this adventure, isn't it?"

Stella handed another mug to Arnold and obviously agreed with Miles, as she added, "Especially since we're all together." Then she sat down next to Arnold and placed her hand on his right shoulder as she took her own drink from the tray and put the tray down.

Miles took a sip of his drink, then scooted closer to his wife and son and placed his hand on Arnold's back as he said in a dreamlike tone, "Yeah."

As Arnold took a sip of his drink, he silently agreed with his parents, as being with them again after they were missing from his life for so many years was a dream come true. He was so happy that he couldn't really explain how he felt entirely. For a moment, he brought his mug down from his lips and noticed a ship in the distance. Pointing with the hand that held the mug (which he then dropped), he exclaimed, "Look! A ship!"

The moment he said those words, Miles and Stella looked in Arnold's direction. Miles got up and walked further out to the deck. Using a small telescope around his neck, he looked into it to get a look at who was on the ship. His eyes widened in fear as he whispered, "Pirates!" He saw the flag with the symbol of pirates, then noticed some actual pirates on board. The pirates saw him back and fired a cannonball at the family's ship, which missed Miles, but hit one of the ship's sails.

Using a nearby rope, Miles swung below the deck and grabbed two swords that crossed each other on the wall. Then he ran back up to where Arnold and Stella were.

"Arnold, stay at the helm! We'll deal with the pirates," Miles instructed to Arnold as he tossed one of the swords to Stella, then ran further out onto the deck.

As she began running after Miles, Stella said, "Don't worry, son. We'll be right back."

_Please be careful, and come back safe!_ Arnold thought worriedly as he watched his parents walking further away from him.

Miles and Stella ran out to the center of the ship and grabbed two ropes. The pirates began firing some more cannonballs, which luckily managed to miss the couple. When the smoke cleared, Miles and Stella swung over to the ship, yelling as they did. Once on the pirates' ship, they began fighting them with their swords.

After his parents had swung over to the pirates' ship, Arnold could no longer see them, and more cannons kept getting fired at his ship. Arnold tried to duck as much as he could to avoid getting hit.

A few moments later, the smoke cleared, and Arnold looked over the side of his ship. "Mom? Dad?"

As he called out to his parents, he looked around on the ocean and saw that the majority of his ship was destroyed, and the ship with the pirates and his parents were nowhere in sight. The horrific idea that his parents were now gone for good suddenly struck his mind. _No! This can't be happening again! Mom! Dad! Don't leave me!_

Arnold called out to his parents again, this time sounding more frantic and distraught. "Mom! Dad! Come back! Come back!"

* * *

><p>"No! No! No! Don't leave me! Come back! Come back!" Arnold yelled in his sleep while lying on his stomach in his bed with his whole body under the covers and his head stuffed under his pillow.<p>

As Arnold continued to yell, Miles and Stella made their way into their son's room, having heard the commotion from their own nearby room. Stella walked over to Arnold and gently touched his back. "Is everything okay?"

Upon hearing his mother's voice and her touch, Arnold immediately lifted his head from under his pillow and turned around and sat up in his bed, panting heavily.

Miles followed Stella over to Arnold, and stood next to her. "You were yelling in your sleep." With a look of concern, he walked over to Arnold and placed his hand on Arnold's shoulder. "Are you all right, son?"

As Arnold continued panting, he wiped the sweat away from his forehead and looked at his parents in secret relief. "Mom. Dad. I'm fine… I just…had a bad dream, that's all."

After hearing Arnold's last words, Miles and Stella looked at each other, exchanging a worried glance. Arnold did not notice this, as he was still wiping sweat off his face.

"You look as though it was a really scary one," Miles commented.

"Are you sure you feel okay, sweetie?" Stella asked. "You're really sweaty. That's what makes it seem like you had a very intense dream."

Arnold smiled at his parents. "Yes, Mom and Dad. I'm okay, I promise."

Miles and Stella smiled back at their son. "Well, if you want to talk about the dream later, or anything else, you know you can always come to us. Okay, son?" Miles asked.

Arnold nodded. "I know, Dad."

"Well, you should get back to sleep," Stella said, and began to tuck Arnold back under his blanket. But not before she gave him a hug and kiss good night. Miles also hugged Arnold, and ruffled his hair.

As Miles and Stella walked towards the door, Arnold called, "Good night, Mom and Dad."

"Good night, Arnold," Miles said back.

"Sleep tight, honey. We love you," Stella said to her son.

"I love you guys, too."

Both parents smiled at Arnold one last time, then Stella first walked out the door, with Miles following, and then he closed the door behind him. They walked down the steps, and when they reached the bottom, Stella said in a low voice, "That's the fifth time we've heard him screaming in his sleep…ever since we came back."

Miles nodded. "Yes, and I think we both have a hunch Arnold's been having nightmares about us."

The couple continued walking down the hall until they reached their bedroom door. Stella opened it, then she turned to her husband. "Do you think we should ask him to talk about his nightmares with us? I mean, I know his situation is different from the other kids in his class, since we haven't been around to really be his parents. But we are still his parents, and we never really kept that vow we made to him as a baby, even if that wasn't our fault. I want us to make that up to him."

Miles smiled at his wife and took her in his arms. "I think we have nothing to worry about. Arnold seems to have grown into a confident and mature young boy for his age, so I think he'll make the right choice. I'm sure he wants to talk to us, and if so, he'll come to us when he's ready."

"You're right," Stella agreed. "I'm sure he'll want to talk about it with us, but he will do it when he's ready." She smiled back at Miles, and the couple kissed before going into their room and shutting the door behind them.

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><p>Once his parents left his room, Arnold sat up in his bed and hugged his knees to his chest. Then he took a look at the picture that was on one of his shelves and reached down to bring it closer to him. The picture contained none other than his parents, but it also included Arnold himself.<p>

Although Arnold still had the picture that contained only his parents, he had it stored away in one of the other drawers and kept this new picture out where he could look at it.

As he looked at the picture of the three of them together, Arnold thought about his most recent nightmare. It was the exact same one he had about his parents barely a month ago, on the anniversary of the day that they left him and went missing…before they finally came back to him after so many years.

Only a few weeks ago, Arnold had gone on a trip with his class to San Lorenzo in Central America. From the stories in his father's old journal, he knew his parents went there when they disappeared, and with the map he found in the journal, he was determined to locate them…or at least get the answers he wanted and needed about why they vanished. Though his greatest hope was that, somehow, they would still be alive after all these years.

Much to his shock, relief, and extreme happiness…they were.

Arnold discovered that his parents were being held prisoner in a dungeon deep in the jungle by the evil river pirate La Sombra. They had been taken prisoner because La Sombra wanted revenge on them for taking La Corazόn away from him after he had stolen it first from the Green-Eyed people (which had happened before Miles and Stella married and had Arnold). Miles and Stella were constantly tortured and fed poorly by La Sombra, but they continued to refuse to reveal where they had placed La Corazόn after they had taken it back and returned it to the Green-Eyes.

During his trip, Arnold and his friends had located the Green-Eyes and their hidden city. Even though it was Arnold's first time meeting them, the Green-Eyes immediately knew who Arnold was because, when he was born, one Green-Eye had witnessed his birth in one of their temples. His birth silenced a volcano that was erupting in the same area, and the Green-Eye was amazed at seeing what had happened once Arnold was born. It also saw Miles come out of the temple carrying Arnold, and even from a distance, it could see Arnold's head, which made it even more in awe, as Arnold's head was the same shape as the Green-Eyes' symbol. Before retreating back into the jungle, the Green-Eye also heard Miles say Arnold's name, and it whispered the name to itself, as if it were very important.

As the Green-Eyes knew that Arnold was the son of Miles and Stella, they also knew that Miles and Stella were still in the jungle and being kept there against their will. Because Miles and Stella had helped the Green-Eyes before with the sleeping sickness epidemic, the Green-Eyes decided to help them by showing Arnold where they were and reunite them.

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><p>Discovering that his parents were actually alive after all this time was a dream come true for Arnold. A few times, feeling it was too good to be true, he would pinch himself to make sure it was all real. But the situation was a hard one to believe at the same time, and it was also hard for others like Arnold's classmates to believe it.<p>

For years, Arnold had been without parents, and his friends, classmates, teachers, and other people who knew him knew that he didn't have parents. But except with Gerald and his grandparents, Arnold almost never talked about it, and almost no one ever brought up the subject to Arnold himself (at least, not directly to Arnold's face). Since they had gone from his life for so many years, it seemed more likely that they were dead rather than just missing, like Arnold had hoped.

It was on days like the Parents Tournament Weekend in fourth grade and the recent October 5th date that Arnold actually took time to mourn their absence, and while he was optimistic in many situations and had managed to get through them, even when all hope was almost lost, Arnold felt he was ready to give up on believing that his parents were alive and going to come back to him one day. He decided it was time to stop being optimistic and be realistic about the situation. But when he found the map in his father's journal and managed to get to San Lorenzo with his class, his hopes were high once again, just like how he felt when he became very determined to save his neighborhood from being destroyed and converted into a huge mall by Scheck.

So Arnold's greatest wish was true after all: his parents had suffered through so much over the past years of being held captive by La Sombra…and yet they were still alive after all this time.

Happy was just an understatement of how Arnold felt upon this discovery, and more so now that he had his parents home with him at last. He was ecstatic and overjoyed…but at the same time, he thought about something else.

Arnold knew his situation with his parents was different than those of his classmates and their parents. His classmates' parents (from what Arnold could tell) were not too adventurous, and even if they did any kind of traveling, it wouldn't be to a location like San Lorenzo. The other parents did nothing in their lives that compared to what Arnold's parents had done for the Green-Eyes. During the years that his parents had been absent, Arnold felt that he couldn't relate to his classmates in this way, mostly because what had happened to his parents was a mystery. If anyone had ever asked Arnold what had happened to his parents, he would have said, "I don't know," which was the truth.

Even though Arnold was so happy that his optimism about his parents had been proven right all along, a new negative factor started to take effect almost immediately after he returned from his trip: he started to have nightmares almost every night, with nearly all of them being about battling La Sombra and trying to save his parents. His real confrontation with La Sombra and his minions back in San Lorenzo had been very scary, and he almost didn't succeed in saving his own life and his parents' lives from the river pirate.

Tonight, however, the dream he had was the _exact same one_ he had a few weeks before on the morning of October 5th. As he sat on his bed, still holding his knees to his chest, Arnold went deep in thought. He believed he had the same dream again because he had started to fear the possibility of losing his parents again somehow, especially since he had found them after all these years, which was almost an impossible wish come true for him. Arnold had not told his parents about all of these dreams, but he suspected that they knew he was having dreams lately because he sometimes felt very sleepy during the mornings after having one of the dreams, and he felt sure it was noticed by his family.

As he had always encouraged his friends and other people to talk about their problems and get their feelings out since it wasn't best to keep them inside, Arnold was feeling a bit uncertain about approaching his parents about his nightmares right now. After being absent from his life for so long, Miles and Stella were home at last, and Arnold was just getting to know them. Unlike the parents of his friends, they were adventurous people, and Arnold seemed to have picked it up from them. Given that their love of adventure seemed to have lead them being held captive for all this time, Arnold wondered if Miles and Stella would understand that he was worried about them. He wanted to make up for lost time by being with them as much as possible, and he _needed_ to be with them, too, since everyone else he knew had their parents with them for their entire lives. He didn't want to lose them or be separated from them ever again.

Arnold looked at the picture of him and his parents one more time, then set it aside. After he lay his head down on his pillow and pulled the covers up, he closed his eyes and began to think. _I _have_ to tell Mom and Dad about my dreams, and I _want _to tell them. Even though I am just getting to know them, Grandma and Grandpa had told me they were great people and loved me so much. I'm sure they'd understand and will listen to me. I'm always helping people with their problems, now I need to give myself a piece of advice I would normally tell others and do what's right. But how interesting does it seem that I'm good at giving advice and helping others with their problems, and when it comes to my own problems, I sometimes have trouble figuring out what to do?_

Arnold turned on his side, still keeping his eyes closed as he tried to go back to sleep. _I'll tell them for sure, but I'm not ready yet. I just have to find the right time and moment._

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><p><strong>So what'd you think?<strong>

**Truth be told, I could see this happening with Arnold. I thought him having a dream about his parents in "The Journal" on the anniversary of their disappearance shows how much he misses them and wonders what happened to them. Now if he really did find them in TJM (which I strongly believe that he would), it would be a miraculous find and a near impossible dream come true for him. However, because it would seem almost too real to believe, I also believe he could have nightmares about losing them again somehow. And while Arnold is a very optimistic person, the situation with his parents is a bigger and different one than he has ever faced, so I could see him feeling more worried about losing them or being separated from them again, even permanently.**

**The remainder of the story will cover the resolution of his dreams. As he always wants to do the right thing, Arnold wants to share his feelings with his parents about the dreams, but he worries how they will react since he is just getting to know them. How will he get enough courage to do it…? You'll find out soon, I promise. And I especially hope you like where this story will go, Jenny. ;)**


	2. A Talk with Helga

The next morning, Arnold headed down to the kitchen, and he was surprised when he saw that his parents were the only people there. Miles was sitting at the table reading a newspaper while Stella at the stove fixing some pancakes.

"Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Dad," Arnold said as he walked over to the table.

"Morning, son," Miles said as he put down the paper.

"Morning, sweetie," Stella said cheerfully as she looked away from the pan of pancakes. "How many pancakes do you want?"

"I'll have three, please," Arnold answered.

"Coming right up." Stella smiled, then she turned back to the pan.

Miles stood up from his seat and asked Arnold, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Uh, some milk, please."

"No problem." Miles walked over to a cabinet and took out a glass, then went over to the fridge, took out the milk, and poured some in the glass. Then he walked over to the table and handed it to Arnold. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Arnold said, then he took a sip of the milk.

A few minutes afterwards, Stella walked over to the table and handed Arnold his pancakes. Then she walked back to the counter and to the table again with plates for her and Miles. By the time she and Miles sat down at the table with their food, Arnold was between both of them. Arnold smiled, as he felt like a typical kid having breakfast with his parents.

After taking a few bites of his pancakes, Miles asked Arnold, "Did you manage to get back to sleep last night, Arnold?"

"Yes, but it took me a while to do so," Arnold answered as he cut up his pancakes.

Picking up some pieces with her fork, Stella asked, "Is there anything you want to share with us about your dream?" Hoping Arnold wouldn't think she and Miles were being nosy, she added, "Honey, your dad and I are a just little worried about you. We know you've had a few nightmares in the past couple of weeks since we came back from San Lorenzo. You're not falling behind in school, but you aren't hanging out with your friends as much and there are times when you look really tired, like you're scared to go back to sleep for the fear of having another nightmare. We won't force to talk to us, but we just want to make sure you're all right."

Arnold looked down at his plate. He had a hunch that his parents were trying to get him to tell them about his nightmares, and that having just them here in the kitchen having breakfast with him was a part of it. He knew, though, that they were doing this out of concern, not to be nosy. Arnold didn't want to lie or make it sound like he was lying to his parents, but he just wasn't ready to talk to them yet.

He shook his head, answering his mother's question. "It's too much to really talk about right now, Mom. Can I talk about it with you and Dad later?"

"Of course we can, son," Miles said in an assuring tone. "Anything you want to tell us, you can come and tell us when you're ready."

"Thanks, Dad." Arnold looked at the clock and grabbed his books from the counter. "Well, I'd better head off to school."

Before he could head towards the door, Stella stood up from her seat, as did Miles. She said, "Wait, Arnold. We got Phil's permission to use the Packard, and your dad and I wanted to give you a lift to school."

Arnold's face lit up and he smiled widely. "Really? Can I sit up front between you guys?"

"You sure can," Miles grinned. Then he picked Arnold up (surprising Arnold for a moment) and put him on his shoulders. To make sure he had a better grip on his dad, Arnold gave his books to Stella, then the three of them headed out the back door to the Packard.

Inside the Packard, Miles sat behind the wheel, while Arnold sat between his parents. Then Miles pulled out of the driveway and drove down the street towards P.S. 118.

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><p>"Thanks for the ride," Arnold said once he got out of the Packard after arriving at his school. "See you guys this afternoon."<p>

"Bye, son," Stella said. Before Miles drove away, she asked, "How do you want to get home?"

"Oh…I thought I'd maybe walk home," Arnold answered, who felt his cheeks start to turn red.

"Hmmm, maybe to accompany your girlfriend home, huh, son," Miles teased, who then winked at Arnold.

Arnold began to turn even redder. "Uh…yeah…You could say that." He began to grin sheepishly.

"Why don't you bring Helga over after school today, sweetie?" Stella asked. "We'd like to see her again, not to mention continue getting to know her."

"Sure, I can do that. I think she wants us to have another 'homework date' today, anyway, so to speak."

"Good, then it's settled," Miles said, then winked at Arnold again before he started the car engine. He looked back at Arnold as he started to pull away from the sidewalk. "Bye, Arnold."

"Bye, sweetie," Stella said as she waved to Arnold.

"Thanks again for the ride," Arnold called to his parents and waved to them as they finally drove away.

Right after his parents pulled away, Arnold heard Gerald behind him. "Hey Arnold, my man, how's it going?"

Arnold turned around and saw Gerald standing near the school steps. He walked up to him and replied, "Hey, Gerald," and the best friends did their secret handshake. Arnold then sighed and rubbed his neck. "I'm actually feeling pretty tired this morning."

Gerald frowned a little bit. "You've been looking tired a lot in the past few weeks. Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Not…exactly," Arnold answered hesitantly.

"Anything you care to tell me, buddy?"

Arnold groaned to himself and rubbed his hand across his face. "Not now. Maybe we'll talk later."

Gerald shrugged. "Whatever you say, man. Come on. We better get to class before the bells rings."

The boys were quiet as they walked to class, though Arnold was quieter as he was trying to think about when he would tell his parents about his nightmares. At the same time, Gerald was thinking about Arnold and hoped that Arnold would tell him what was going on.

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><p>Throughout the entire day, Arnold sometimes had trouble paying attention in class as he was still a little tired and tried to avoid falling asleep. He tried to keep a straight face during lunch and recess as well, but that was a little harder, and he barely talked to or spent time with anyone during these breaks. Luckily for him, none of his classmates were really paying attention to him, except for Gerald and Helga.<p>

Like Gerald, Helga had also noticed that Arnold had been looking very tired lately and wanted to know if anything was wrong. She had noticed that Arnold started looking this way since they had come back from their trip to San Lorenzo, so she suspected Arnold's exhaustion had something to do with that and the location of his parents. Gerald wanted to respect Arnold's privacy and would wait if Arnold would come to him to talk, but Helga was getting impatient and felt compelled to find out what was happening with Arnold.

When the day was over, and once everyone left the classroom after the bell rang, Arnold went right to his locker, and as he left the door open while looking at a book, he was surprised when Helga suddenly came up to his side and slammed the door.

"Okay, football head, what's going on with you?"

"Huh?" Arnold suddenly came back to life after what Helga just did. When he saw Helga, he tried to regain his composure. "Oh, hi there, Helga!"

"Don't you 'Hi there, Helga,' me, hair boy!" Helga snapped. "I know something's going on with you and has been for a couple of weeks because of how tired you look almost everyday, and you haven't been talking so much lately." Realizing that people might hear her, she decided to be nicer to Arnold and lowered her voice as she continued, "And…Arnold, I'm your girlfriend; I want to know if something's bothering you."

Feeling that Helga deserved to know, and because he wanted to spend some time alone with her, Arnold nodded. "Okay. Why don't we go to Slausen's for some ice cream and I'll tell you what's going on?"

"Anything you want, football head!"

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to their classmates at the current time, Arnold and Helga were now dating, which had begun since they returned home from their trip. While Arnold had found his parents and stopped La Sombra during the trip, he might not have succeeded in doing so if it hadn't been from an unexpected source of help…Helga G. Pataki.<p>

Even before the trip, Arnold had done a lot of thinking on how he felt about Helga ever since he had saved their neighborhood from destruction and discovered that Helga was his secret source of information (which was also when she confessed her feelings of love to him, as that was her motive). He knew she was telling the truth because her secret scheme to help him was planned, along with her passionate outburst and forceful kiss to his lips!

The first time, she had given up her own material gain and risked so much to secretly help him save their neighborhood, all because she loved him. And in San Lorenzo, Helga had once again helped Arnold something that was almost impossible to do: she practically risked her health and entire life to help Arnold find his parents, which was the most important goal in his life. And again, she helped him because she loved him.

This act helped Arnold realize on a conscious level how he felt about Helga: he loved her, too. Realizing this, he confessed to her and gave her a kiss of his own. This kiss was more awkward than passionate, but Helga could not believe that this had happened. Since then, they secretly began dating, and only a few people currently knew about their new relationship…which included Arnold's family.

* * *

><p>Arnold and Helga both loved ice cream, and they loved the kind served at Slausen's, so Arnold knew this would be a good place for them to chat. When the couple finally got there, they each ordered an ice cream sundae, and almost immediately after they did so, Arnold and Helga sat down at a booth and their conversation started with Helga speaking first.<p>

"So, football head, as I said before, I've noticed that you seem to be more tired lately during school. You're not avoiding anyone entirely, but you don't always hang out with people during recess and you aren't exactly playing so well whenever we play baseball with everyone." She paused, eyeing Arnold with curiosity, though it looked more like suspicion to Arnold. "Does this have anything to do with you finding your parents during our trip, Arnold?"

Arnold looked at Helga and nearly choked on the ice cream he was eating, as he was almost too surprised to answer. "Was I really that obvious?"

"Ah ha! I knew it!" Helga declared triumphantly. "Of course it was obvious, football head! At least, it was to me. Having your parents back is a big change in your life, and I noticed you started looking more tired sometime afterwards, so I kind of just put two and two together."

Arnold laughed a little. "Boy, you really can't be underestimated, Helga." Then he sighed and nodded. "But yes, you're right. The thing is…I've been having nightmares almost every night since our trip ended, and it's always about my parents, and they're almost always the same. And they almost always include La Sombra, especially because of how we faced him there while trying to save my parents from the clutches of him and his minions. However, the nightmare I had last night was the same one I had back on October 5th."

"Well, that does make a lot of sense, especially since it was pretty scary to face La Sombra in order to save your parents. But hey, the way I see it, facing him and his minions to save your parents wasn't very different from when you faced Scheck and his guys to save our neighborhood!" Helga got excited when thinking about how similar the two situations were, but then stopped talking so fast when she saw how solemn Arnold looked. "Oh, I-I-I'm sorry, Arnold," she stuttered. "I didn't mean to get carried away like that."

"It's okay, Helga." Arnold patted her hand in reassurance.

"So since this has been going on with you for a while, have you talked to them about your nightmares? If I know you, Arnold, and I do, you would say the thing to do first is talk to someone, and in this case, it would be your parents since they are a part of your nightmares."

"You really do know me, Helga," Arnold laughed. "But no, I haven't, and you're the first person I HAVE told. I mean, I feel that my situation with my parents is very different than anyone else's. I think that no one else will understand if I tell them, because they all have their parents and never had them absent from their lives for as long as I did. And now, suddenly, I find them after all this time? I mean, it's like a great big miracle or a dream come true, and one that is too good to be true. And because of that, I think it's why I'm starting to have nightmares about them. I just found them, and I want to be with them a lot to make up for lost time…and I can't bear the thought of losing them or being separated from them again…ever." He paused for a moment and looked right at Helga. "Yes, I know I'm known for 'looking on the bright side' because 'somebody has to,' but…this is very different…I don't know how else to explain it; it just is."

Helga was not usually very good at listening to or helping other people like Arnold was, but because she loved him like she did, she genuinely listened to every word he said.

"You know, Arnoldo, I'm not exactly like you when it comes to listening, giving good advice, and helping others with their problems, but I can sometimes see that when it comes to your own life, you don't always have the answer to help yourself. Heck, it's interesting how I seem to be in your shoes this time around since you're telling me your problem."

"I know, and I thought about this last night. I mean, I should tell them, and I want to tell them. But since I'm taking more of my time in getting to know them, it's just hard to figure out when to tell them. I guess this is why I need to talk to someone else about this. I told myself what to do about it, but I guess I need someone else to tell me to do it for the encouragement. I need someone to be me for a change and for me to be like someone I help." Arnold looked at Helga and smiled as he finished, "…and I don't think I could ask for someone better to get that. But you're wrong about yourself: if given the chance, you are a good listener who can help others and give advice."

Helga smiled back and felt a light blush come to her cheeks, flattered by Arnold's suggestion of her helping him, since he knew by now of the other times she had helped him, even in secret. "Heh…well, th-thanks, Arnold…" She giggled and stuttered slightly, then regained her composure as she said in a slightly sarcastic voice, "But don't get too used to it, football head!" She pointed her finger as she said this, but then smiled afterwards.

Arnold continued to look and smile and Helga, and as he did, he brought up his napkin and starting wiping some ice cream and chocolate syrup away from her lips. They both laughed quietly when he finished. Then Arnold spoke up, "Thanks for listening and being so understanding, Helga. I always knew you were a nice girl who was genuinely capable of loving and caring for someone, and I feel so lucky to have you as my girlfriend." After he said that, he placed his hands over hers, causing her face to get hotter than she ever felt it get hot.

Before either of them could speak, Helga removed her hands from under Arnold's, which startled him for a moment, but then made him feel relieved when she grabbed his arms and pulled him to her for a kiss. Like always, he was surprised by her advance, but he quickly held her arms and reciprocated the kiss.

The moment they pulled apart, Helga stared at Arnold with a dazed, dream-like look on her face. "Arnold, my dear flaxen-haired angel of a boyfriend, I feel so blessed that we are finally boyfriend and girlfriend after I've harbored secret feelings of love for you for so many years, and that you finally feel the same way about me. And as long as we are together, I will help you with your problems and try to give you advice whenever you need it. After all, you are the most important person in the world to me, and I love you."

Arnold grinned widely as he continued to hold Helga. "Thank you, Helga, and I love you, too."

Hearing those words made Helga so happy that she pulled Arnold to her again for another kiss, and this time, Arnold was more prepared.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the relatively long wait for this next chapter, but so much has been going on in my personal life that has kept me from taking enough time to continue this story. At this point, there is a lot more coming my way because of school, so while I have at least one more chapter planned for this story, I have not written it yet and will not be able to for a while, so I can't say for sure when this story will be complete. But rest assured, it will get done and it will have a good ending. So for now, just enjoy this chapter and the previous chapter. :) I especially hope you like this update, Jenny, and I will get this finished! :D<strong>


	3. Mom and Dad

Arnold was sitting on the stoop by himself. He had been out on it for half an hour, doing some more thinking about him and his parents, and had decided that he was going to tell him about his nightmares today.

It had been a week since he had told Helga about his nightmares and the concerns he had regarding him and his parents. Although he worked up the words that he wanted to tell them about his nightmares, he was still nervous about just letting it all out. But again, he told himself he had to go through with this. He didn't want to keep this from them much longer, and Arnold knew that keeping your feelings inside you wasn't the solution to the problem.

Arnold didn't realize that, while he had been on the stoop, Miles and Stella had been watching him from time to time by means of the window from the room that was located straight above him. Stella was taking another look at him at this very moment. Miles came in the room and noticed her, then asked, "He's still out there, isn't he?"

Not taking her eyes off of their son, Stella answered, "Uh huh."

Miles walked up to where Stella was standing. "He'll come to us when he's ready, Stella. I know he will."

Stella looked away from the window and at her husband. "I don't want to be nosy with Arnold, Miles, but I do want him to tell us, and the longer we wait, the more anxious I get. Why don't we just go see him and sit with him for a bit? He's probably thinking about telling us about his nightmares, and maybe he'll be ready to tell us."

Miles took Stella in his arms and smiled at her. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to do that. And that makes sense; I feel that my curiosity about Arnold is killing me, too." Then he gestured towards the door with his head. "Let's go outside and see him."

* * *

><p>Arnold had just made the decision to go inside and have a sit-down talk with his parents about his nightmares when the door opened behind him. Turning his head, he noticed his parents' faces and smiled. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad."<p>

"Hi, sweetheart," Stella said.

"Hiya, sport," Miles said. "Do you mind if your mom and I join you out here?"

"Not at all," Arnold answered as he shook his head. "Actually, I was going to come in and look for you guys, but since you're here now, sit down."

Miles and Stella sat down on the stoop with Arnold, with each one of them being on either side of Arnold. Before any silence between the family got too long and awkward, Stella looked at Arnold as she spoke, "So Arnold…anything you care to tell us?"

Arnold took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Well, as you guys mentioned the other week, you realized I've been having nightmares."

Noticing that Arnold wasn't looking at them while he talked, Miles and Stella looked at each other, then Miles looked down at his feet before he spoke to Arnold and looked at him. "Are you having nightmares about your mom and me, son? We know you've been having them for the past few weeks, and we just thought that that along with us coming home around the same time was just too much of a coincidence."

Arnold sighed as he realized his parents had gotten it out of him, and he knew he had to tell them everything now. "All right, you guys got it out of me. My nightmares have been about you two. I've had nightmares about what happened back in San Lorenzo. I keep dreaming about trying to save both of you from La Sombra, but many of those dreams ended with you two disappearing somehow. I guess it's because it was a scary time, facing La Sombra then. And then last week, the nightmare I had was actually the very same one I had on the morning of October 5th. It started and ended exactly the same as before, where the three of us are on the ship and encounter pirates, then you two vanish completely."

As he finished his last sentence, Arnold looked at both of his parents and continued, "I think I'm having these nightmares for a reason that is probably obvious to all of us. I mean, I can't tell you how happy I am to have both of you back in my lives at last. And yet, it just seemed like it was an impossible wish come true when I believed that you guys were lost in the jungle and might come back someday…and I was right. People might even say to me, if I ever told them your story, that it would just be too far-fetched and unlikely to have happened. But then there was also the frightening things that happened upon me finding you."

As Miles smiled at Arnold and patted his son's back, Stella took one of her hands and ran her fingers through Arnold's hair. "Arnold…your dad and I can't say in just a few words about how happy we are to be home with you as well. At the same time, we do feel sad because we didn't get to be with you as you grew out of your babyhood and became the person you are today, like many parents get to be as their babies become children. But at least now we still have more years to be with you as you become a teenager and enter the world of adolescence. And you can count on us to be here for you, now and forever more, as you continue to go about your life and experience what life has to offer for you, both now and in the future."

Stella placed her hand on her son's shoulder as she continued, "I think with all that the three of us have been through, you're experiencing what many young kids do when it comes to the fear of losing one or both parents. Now that you've actually found us after so many years and we're getting to really know you and you to know us, your fear has probably intensified, especially with the nightmares you've been having."

Arnold looked at his mother as she talked, then nodded. "That makes a lot of sense, Mom. And believe me, I understand why you guys left me. When I learned the truth, I didn't want to have the feeling of being abandoned. By then, I just wanted to know what had happened to you both." Then he rubbed his fingers on the side of his head. "My friends come to me a lot in order to get advice or solutions to their problems, but when it comes to my own problems, I feel I need someone else to help me and not just listen to my own advice. And none of the other kids can relate to what I have gone through, even if any of them ever worry about losing their own parents. I just…I just don't want to lose the two of you again…ever."

After Arnold finished, Miles added, "You're right, Arnold, they can't relate to you this way, and maybe there isn't any kid in the world who can. Your fear of losing us is very strong because of all that is happened. And we can't ever bear ever being away from you for so long again." He looked over at Stella, then both of them looked at Arnold. Arnold looked at Stella, then back to Miles as Miles continued, "Your mom and I have talked about this, since we thought you might feel this way. And if there was a chance that we ever had to help the Green-Eyes again, we'd talk it over carefully before making a final decision. But if we decided to help them…we'd want to take you with us."

Arnold's eyes widened. "You would? Even if you wanted to go, you'd take me with you?"

Before Miles could finish, Stella said, "That's right, Arnold. Your dad and I also can't bear the idea of going through another long absence in San Lorenzo after this past ordeal. Now we're not saying this will happen again, at least not very soon, but now that you are older and you have shown to be capable of taking care of yourself during your adventure in the jungle, we feel that you are a kid who can be trusted well by his parents. We really do want to spend as much time with you as possible as you get older after all that we have lost together as a family. And if ever means going away to San Lorenzo again, then so be it."

Arnold smiled and nodded. "I understand. I had also thought that if you ever had to go back to San Lorenzo, I'd want to go with you. Not only because I can't stand the thought of possibly losing you again, but I feel the three of us need to stay together for a long time to come."

"Atta boy, Arnold!" Miles exclaimed. Noticing Arnold's hat, he took it off of Arnold's head and placed it on Arnold's nose, like he had done when he first bought it for Arnold. The memory of that moment made both him and Stella laugh, then Arnold laughed with them as Miles placed it back on Arnold's head. Then Miles said, "And Arnold, it's going to take some time for all of us to adjust to this, but really, it's our job as parents to worry about you, not the other way around."

"I know, Dad and Mom. That's just a lot easier said than done."

"It is hard for every kid not worry about their parents when something scary happens to them," Stella said. "But just try not to worry about us and don't let that stop from doing things in your everyday life."

"All right. I'll try, Mom."

"That's my boy," Miles said and patted Arnold's back. "And remember, Arnold, don't hesitate to come talk to your mom or me if you're still worried about this, or about any problems you may have and want to share with us. As your parents, that's what we're here for."

"I know, Dad, and thank you."

Miles smiled, then said, "Hey Arnold, I know the three of us have been spending time together almost everyday by going almost everywhere and doing every activity here in Hillwood. But how about we do something together again, like going out of town for the weekend? We could leave right after you finish school on Friday and come back on Sunday night. That way we could immediately start it off with just the three of us being together and continue to have it be that way until we come back."

Miles and Stella immediately smiled when they saw the big grin that Arnold suddenly wore on his face. "Wow, really?! That'd be so awesome, Dad!"

"So does that mean you want to do it?" Stella asked, even though she already knew what Arnold's answer was based on his reaction.

"Oh, definitely!" Arnold answered excitedly.

"That's great, son," Miles replied. "Well, now that we talked this all through, we'll let you be. Do you have any plans for today?"

Arnold smiled slyly, as he sensed a familiar presence nearby. "Oh…I've got a few ideas on what I can do today, Dad." Then he winked at Miles.

Miles understood what Arnold was trying to say, so he winked back to Stella, who smiled and nodded in return. "Well, we'll be going now, son. See you later tonight."

As Miles and Stella stood up to go inside, Arnold stood up as well and said, "Wait, guys." As they waited for him to continue, Arnold just threw his arms around his mother. Stella kneeled down as she hugged him back and kissed his head. Knowing Arnold may not want a big hug from his dad, Miles gave Arnold a small hug around his neck and patted his head. "I love you both," Arnold said as they continued to hug him.

"We love you, too," Stella said back. Then she and Miles let go of Arnold and opened the door. Stella started to head in, then looked back at Arnold and smiled at him.

Arnold smiled back, then as Stella went inside, Miles added, "Have a good day, Arnold."

"I will, Dad," Arnold said, then he waved. Miles waved back, then followed Stella inside and shut the door.

* * *

><p>Now Arnold was alone on the stoop again, and seeing that he was finally alone again, he said loudly, "Okay, you can come out now…<em>Helga<em>."

Helga, who had been hiding on the side of the stoop the whole time Arnold had been talking with his parents, widened her eyes and stepped out from her hiding place in total surprise. "How the heck did you know I was here, football head?" she said as she crossed her arms and walked over to where Arnold was sitting.

Arnold smiled amusedly and feigned innocence as he answered, "Oh…I just had a weird feeling that someone was nearby as I was talking to my parents, and then I figured, who else would it be, but you?"

Helga gave a smirk. "Good guessing then, hair boy."

"Okay, so what are you doing here?"

"Well…I wanted to know when you were gonna talk to your parents about your nightmares, and I took a walk over here and noticed you on the stoop, so I decided to wait and see what would happen." She paused before she finished, "I guess I was a little worried about you, Arnold."

Arnold smiled again, then motioned for Helga to come sit next to him on the stoop. "Well, that's very sweet of you, Helga. But I would have told you what happened either way. I don't want to keep secrets from you. And remember, if something is bothering you, don't ever hesitate to tell me. I want to help you as much as I can." Noticing her hand was placed on the stoop, he lightly placed his hand over hers.

Feeling his hand on hers, Helga looked down, then they awkwardly looked at each other. Then they smiled shyly as Arnold took her hand in his and laced his fingers with hers. As they stood up from the stoop, Arnold asked, "I thought I'd go for a walk, and maybe to a movie later. I feel better getting all of this out, and now I just want to do something fun. Would you care to join me?"

"Lead away, Arnoldo. I have nothing better to do in my day than to spend it with you."

Arnold laughed a little, then he added, "Whatever you say, Helga." As he stepped off the stoop and continued down the steps, Helga was just one pace behind him. Then the couple headed down the street as they continued to hold hands, and Helga, happy to be with her beloved again, walked with a little bounce in her step.

For now, Arnold didn't know what the future held for him and his parents. But talking with them and Helga about his nightmares made him feel much better, and he decided to continue enjoy being with them as well as Helga. As long as he shared his feelings with others, he felt that he was now less likely to have more bad dreams and have more good things since he had a lot going for him.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello all! Well, at long last, this is the final chapter of "Nightmares." I feel bad that I hadn't worked on it for a long time, but I was literally so busy this past semester and summer that I didn't have all the time I needed and wanted to work on this and make it sound very good. But I thought I should work to finish it now, because I have a lot coming up for me while I am still in school and working on my degree. And since it's early in the semester, along with the fact that I hate starting things and leaving them unfinished for a long time, I decided to force myself to sit down and type this until I felt it was finished. And admittedly, it did not take me too long at all. <strong>

**So Arnold has finally had his talk with his parents, and I think they would be very understanding with him about it, just like any good parents would be, especially when I have Miles tell Arnold that it's his and Stella's job to worry about him (Arnold), not Arnold's job to worry about them. In any case, I wanted to end this as happily as possible with this family, and I also just had to include Helga in here at the end so that things can be good for her and Arnold, too. Since I already had them discuss Arnold's nightmares, I thought it was appropriate for her to know about his conversation with his parents. And really, what better way to end the whole story with this couple doing something together? It just seems to fit, you know?**

**Again, I hope you all like this chapter to go along with the rest of the story. I'm just glad I finished it, and I hope you will like this especially, Jenny. ;)**


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